HYPOTHETICAL LIST 385 



lishing the former occurrence of the Great Auk on Long 

 Island, though this is quite possible or even probable. 



CABOT'S TERN (Sterna sandvicensis acuflavida) 

 There is no valid reason for giving this species a place 

 among the birds of New York State. De Kay states that it 

 "has been little noticed on our coast," and Eaton cites a 

 record of Lawrence in his catalogue of 1866, but there is some 

 mistake, as this species is not mentioned. Giraud, who knew 

 the birds of Long Island better than De Kay, does not men- 

 tion it. 



TRUDEAU'S TERN (Sterna trudeaui) 



This South American species has even less claim to a 

 place in this list than Cabot's Tern. Eaton includes it as a 

 New York State bird, " which has been taken once on Long 

 Island, as reported by Audubon. . ." The only statement 

 Audubon ever made, however, was: "I have received from 

 Mr. Trudeau an intimation of the occurrence of several 

 individuals on Long Island." No South American bird 

 would be added to a state list today on such evidence as this, 

 and I cannot see that the great age of the evidence increases 

 its value. The Terns were very poorly understood in 

 Audubon's day, and Trudeau doubtless knew even less 

 about them than did Audubon. 



RUFOUS-CRESTED DUCK (Netta rufina) 

 A specimen of this European species was found in Fulton 

 Market in February, 1872. It was supposed to have come 

 from Long Island, as the birds in this market did for the most 

 part come from this locality. However, positive evidence is 

 certainly absent, and we know that many game-birds in this 

 market came from Chesapeake Bay and the West. Conse- 

 quently, while there is no reasonable doubt that this species 

 occurred accidentally in North America, its capture on Long 

 Island is hypothetical. 



